Deborah J. Kenny, PhD, RN, FAAN
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
What advice would you give your younger self?
Always do the right thing. It may be harder, but you can always reconcile it with yourself.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Iceland.
What made you want to pursue a career in nursing?
I honestly do not know. I had planned on math and music, but suddenly changed my major without thinking about it. I have never looked back.
What book should every nurse read?
Nursing Ethics, 1880s to the Present: An archaeology of Lost Wisdom and Identity by Marsha Fowler.
What has been your most interesting/surprising outcome while conducting nursing research?
The trouble that nurses have making ethical decisions involving their patients.
What is a fun fact many people may not know about you?
I ride and have Icelandic Horses.
About Deborah
Dr. Deb Kenny received her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1975; an EdM from Boston University in 1983; MSN from Vanderbilt University in 1986; PhD in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2002; and MA in Bioethics from Loyola University Chicago in 2021. She just completed her Doctorate in Bioethics in May 2026.
Dr. Kenny spent 24 years in the US Army Nurse Corps, holding various positions throughout her career, culminating as the Executive Director of the TriService Nursing Research Program, a $6M grants program for military/veteran nurses to conduct militarily relevant research and evidence-based practice. While there, she got the program permanently funded, and out of Congressional earmark status. She received many awards from the military, including the Legion of Merit, and is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. Upon her retirement from the military in 2010, Dr. Kenny was honored with the inaugural Carole Schoffstall Endowed Professorship at the Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and spent 12.5 years as faculty there.
For the past 4 years, Dr. Kenny has been an Associate Professor and Division Chair for the Health Systems, Leadership, Informatics, and Veteran/Military Health Care graduate programs at the College of Nursing for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She considers this campus home as she was stationed at Fitzsimons twice and actually helped close its doors as an Army Medical Center in 1996.
In 2008, she was named an Outstanding Alumna from the University of Massachusetts Graduate School. In 2010, she was inducted as a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Nursing. Since then, she has earned numerous awards for her research, professional service, and community service.
